The NFL and GE will partner in the Head Health Initiative, a four-year project that aims to “speed diagnosis and improve treatment for mild traumatic brain injury,” the organizations said Monday.
A four-year, $40 million NFL-GE project will seek to create imaging equipment to better diagnose and treat “mild traumatic brain injury,” which fits the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s working definition of a concussion. Also, GE, the NFL and Under Armour will create a two-year program designed to promote innovation in the field of concussion diagnosis and prevention. The organizations have pledged up to $20 million for this “open innovation challenge.”
“The future of our great game is bright,” said NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in a statement issued Monday. “The NFL has made tremendous progress in making the game safer and more exciting. But we know we have more work to do. Our collaboration with GE and Under Armour and the launch of the innovation challenges puts us on an accelerated path to progress with experienced scientists, academics and entrepreneurs dedicated to developing game-changing technologies that will benefit athletes, the military and all members of society.”
In February, Comcast purchased GE’s remaining 49 percent stake in NBCUniversal.